(1 Corinthians 11:26) by Kim Thoday
Just over forty years ago, there came a tragic end to an exciting life, a life that still held great promise to many; a charismatic figure, a camelot personage – to some, even a messianic figure. The assassination in Dallas, Texas on the 22nd November 1963, saw an end to the reign of one of the most controversial presidents of the U.S.A. Greatly loved and greatly hated, in his own country and throughout the world, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) became an icon of an era. Books and films have been produced about him and in honour of him and many who are still old enough to remember this event will recall where they were and what they were doing as the news broke.
Two thousand years ago, a man came and held out a messianic hope long awaited. Some saw him too as a charismatic figure, even the saviour and redeemer of the world. And the death he died, his assassination on that fateful day out side Jerusalem at Golgotha, caused many to remember the day, even until the present. The death of this person, Jesus of Nazareth, is commemorated in the Lord’s Supper, in Holy Communion, in the Mass, each week and has been since the days of his earthly life.
Yet in the Lord’s supper we not only commemorate a great life. We also celebrate the living presence of Jesus. We celebrate the fact that following his death, three days later, God raised Jesus from the dead. We celebrate a resurrected Jesus, a life of such love that not even all the evil of humanity, nor death itself could conquer. All the Gospel accounts record that the disciples experienced the risen Jesus. And as Christians we continue to experience the power of the risen Jesus, through his Spirit amongst us – the Holy Spirit. So in the Lord’s Supper we commemorate, we celebrate, but we also anticipate.
Just as the Christ (Messiah) came in Jesus of Nazareth, so we anticipate the return of Christ. There are in the New Testament numerous predictions that Jesus will come again to herald the end of one age and the dawn of a new age of God’s transformation of all of creation. As Christians we look forward with great anticipation to this final consummation of salvation history. The return of Christ will be an event that followers of Jesus can indeed look forward to, when all those of faith will be with him in a dimension where our profoundest hopes and deepest longings are realised.
Eugene Peterson’s (The Message) paraphrase of Paul’s instructions about the Lord’s supper to the Corinthian Christians, poignantly picks up the emphasis of commemoration, celebration and anticipation:
“What you must solemnly realise is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you re-enact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
We commemorate the death of the Master. We are drawn back time and again to celebrate the life of Jesus and that the Spirit of that life of love and service continues to empower us. And we anticipate the time when our Master will return.
Blessings in Jesus’ name,
KIM THODAY, HEWETT COMMUNITY CHURCH OF CHRIST, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
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